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Tuesday, July 13, 2010

The Sage, the adhikArin & the World

the Self-awareness of the j~nAni is to the forefront like the treble melody in music. At other times it lies in the background like the bass accompaniment, which you hardly notice till perhaps it stops... The heartening fact is that true Self-consciousness, when sufficiently valued and established, can be trusted to go on at some level without any fuss or concern about keeping it up deliberately.

Probably this applies for the adhikArin as well. I have met folks who are eager to realize and when their continuous obsessing about Reality fails to get them realization, they redouble their efforts. My suggestions to relax and let things take their course, have sometimes fallen on deaf ears.

A disciple of SrI rAmakRRishNa was pursuing spiritual discipline, but he was unable to make much progress. One day he asked SrI rAmakRRishNa why he has been failing. The Master asked his disciple to follow and him to the middle of the gaNgA river. With the water up to their chests, SrI rAmakRRishNa placed both hands on the head of the disciple and pressed him underwater. He held him there for a few seconds or so and released him. As the disciple came above water, the Master asked the disciple, "What was one intense thought in your mind during the time I had you underwater?" The student replied, "I was intensely praying you would release your hand from my head, so that I could breathe." SrI rAmakRRishNa, then replied, "Your desire for mOksha should be this intense for you to make progress."

In this scenario, the disciple has been subjected to a force greater than his own will. The convergence of various circumstances afford him the opportunity to have the sudden, intense desire to be able to breath again.

"Know Him to be the supreme magician who has brought all the worlds out of Himself. Know that all beings in the universe partake of His divine splendor. Know Him to be the supreme magician who has become boy and girl, bird and beast. He is the bestower of all blessings, and His grace fills the heart with peace profound."